14 DAY TRIAL // The Grand Theft Auto franchise has become a worldwide phenomenon, largely due to its solid gameplay, intricate stories and elaborate takes on the various times our society has gone through. For quite some time, Sam and Dan Houser, the founders of Rockstar, the company behind this franchise, have been associated with visionaries in this field.
Now, the prestigious Time magazine has made it official, as it has included the two brothers in their top 100 list of the most influential people of this year. They appear in the Artists and Entertainers category, with a description written by Matt Selman, who is an executive producer of the hit TV series The Simpsons.
He goes on to elaborate that the two brothers have created masterpieces similar to what Dickens or other writers made during their own times, focusing on recreating the most important pieces of past and present times on the territory of the United States through their games.
“The passion that these reclusive British brothers, 37 and 35, have brought to creating — no, inhabiting — Liberty City, San Andreas and Vice City has translated into games that offer quantum leaps in genre-defining fun. None of their video-game-industry imitators have even come close. But what makes the Housers' creation unparalleled is that their games have a take on American cultural history. A smart take. A take that solidifies the culture's vision of its recent past. The Housers are doing the work of Tom Wolfe, creating tapestries of modern times as detailed as those of Balzac or Dickens. “
We've already heard a few voices nominate the story of the latest Grand Theft Auto IV installment, penned by Dan Houser, as Oscar worthy, but it seems that this attitude is shared by a lot of people now. Hopefully the two brothers will continue to offer great experiences to players around the world through their games.